last conversation
by StopBreakingMyHeartTellTale
Summary: Three months after they took down the delta, Clementine finds Louis out in the cold trying to pay his respects and talk to Marlon.


The fading of the day also meant the fading of any heat the sun had spared through sheets of clouds. Wintry air swirls around her, sucking every lick of warmth from her body.

Clementine wraps her arms tighter around herself, pulling her heavy coat closed and yanking the hood over her head, sighing as her ears find shelter from the numbing chill. She gives a deep sigh, her breath visible as a puff of light mist.

She can hear everyone moving around inside. They'd moved dinner in for the night, deeming it too cold to eat outside, even with a fire going for them all to huddle around.

She almost enjoyed the serene view of the yard completely empty, completely silent aside from the soothing lull of trembling leaves, but she's not out here to enjoy such a thing.

Clementine tightens the heavy knit scarf around her neck, burying her chin in it as her eyes dart around in search of any movement. From the corner of her eye, done past the burnt portion of the school, down the walkway, she sees him standing there with his back to her.

Louis is still, his head down and arms folded over his chest. He's still wearing his usual jacket rather than the warmer one she had found for him last week when the weather took a turn for the worst. It'd been a little big for him, the sleeves falling over his wrists and the puffiness making him look twenty pounds heavier than he really was.

He'd "lost" it the next day, shrugging when she asked him why he didn't have it on.

Clementine steps down the stairs, careful of the icy frost forming along the concrete. It's not too bad yet, but she goes slow anyway.

She's been worried about him since the morning when she woke up to find him gone. He'd been fine, of course, claiming he didn't want to overstay his welcome. Which was silly, since Clementine was the one who asked him to stay after he came knocking on her door.

He'd been so terrified.

Another nightmare, of course.

He'd had plenty of them since they got home after the delta.

He's silent as she approaches, slightly shivering as he stands there. Hearing her footsteps, he cocks his head around to see who's sneaking up on him. Upon seeing it's her, he gives a small, weary grin.

Clementine moves close beside him, saying, "Hey."

"Hey."

"You're going to become a popsicle if you stay out here."

"A 'lou-pop.'"

She smirks. "Cantaloupe flavor."

He elbows her. "Ha, ha."

She reaches for his hand and is shocked to feel how freezing and stiff his fingers are.

"Louis, come inside," she says. "You're gonna get sick, and it's almost time to eat."

"I will," he sighs. "In a minute, I-"

His eyes become lidded, something sad glistening within the darkness of them. She follows his gaze down to the marked grave before them.

Marlon's grave.

"Oh," she murmurs.

"Yeah."

She watches her, her gaze wandering over his neck and the exposed part of his collar bone where harsh goosebumps rise. His cheeks are flushed a dark red, and she can tell his usually soft lips are becoming chapped from the cold.

Clementine moves around to fully face him, unwinding her scarf and wrapping it around his shoulders. She pulls the openings of his coat closed before leaning in and pressing herself against his chest. His arms come around her, contentedly sighing as he holds her. She tries to rubs some warmth into his back as he rests his chin atop her head.

"You don't have to stay out here with me," he murmurs. "No sense in us both becoming pops."

She hums light-heartedly, resting her eyes as she melts into his touch.

"Do you want me to leave you alone?" she asks, her voice muffled by the scarf.

"No."

"Okay."

Louis' chest rises as he inhales heavily, letting it out with a slow, shuddering breath.

"I thought I'd have a lot to say to him, y'know," he says. "But, now that I'm here, I just- what can I say?"

"You don't have to say anything. I'm sure that he's just glad you visited, right?"

"Maybe."

They stand like that for a long time, pressed together and savoring the others warmth as the chilly air continues to envelop them.

"Are you feeling okay?" she asks.

"Better," he hums. "Thanks... y'know, for letting me stay last night. It really helped."

Clementine smiles. "I was actually thinking... if you wanted to stay the night again, I wouldn't be opposed."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Clementine can feel his heartbeat against her cheek, a soothing pulse that lulls her eyes shut.

"I ever tell you about the last conversation we had, me and him?" Louis asks suddenly, then stammers, "Well, uh, I mean, not the _last_ last conversation, but the one we had before, uh-" he sighs, "-you know."

Before he came out of the basement with blood splattered on his face. Before he pointed the gun at Clementine's face. Before Louis stood between them.

Before Marlon died.

She shakes her head, grimacing lightly at those unhappy memories. "No."

"It wasn't a great talk," Louis says quietly. "It was about you."

She pulls back to glance up at him, still resting her temple against his shoulder.

"Me?"

A small, sad smile pulls at his lips. "Yeah. He wanted to know what happened at the train station, so I told him. Then, I told him how goddamn cool you were."

She finds her cheeks warming up at his words, a small tingle twisting a nerve in her stomach.

He continues, "I had never met anyone like you, Clem. Not really. I remember telling him how glad I was that we decided to pull you and AJ out of that car wreck and how I couldn't wait to get to know you and I just went on and on."

"Really?"

"Hell yeah, Clem, I-" he chuckles nervously, his grip around her tightening, "-I really liked you."

She tries the repress the small giggle, but it bubbles in her throat as she buries her face into his chest, embarrassed.

His chuckle vibrates against her before dying down, and they're silent again. She doesn't have to see his face to know something's changed. She feels it in the way his hands run up her back and to her shoulders.

He whispers, "You know what Marlon said?"

"Hm?"

"He looked me dead in the eye and said, 'Dude, don't get your hopes up. I doubt she feels that way about you.'"

Clementine's eyes snap open. She leans back to look at his face, brows furrowed with confusion.

"He said that to you?"

"He said that to me."

She slightly shakes her head in disbelief, asking, "And, what did you say?"

Louis doesn't answer right away, instead looking past her and at the grave. "I said, 'Yeah, Marlon, you're right. I'm probably not good for her anyway.' Then, I thanked him and went to bed."

"Lou-"

"I know."

"That's-"

"He'd already planned to give you and AJ away, remember? I figure he didn't want me to get too attached, or something."

His tongue darts out to wet his chapped lips before sucking his bottom lip between his teeth. He angles his head up to stare at the cloudy night sky silently, brows knitted thoughtfully and eyes blinking rapidly, something he does when repressing tears.

Clementine brushes her fingers against the exposed, chilled flesh of his neck, along his jaw, and used her thumb to tilt his chin down towards her. Reluctantly, he gazes at her through lidded eyes.

She presses her self up on her toes, their noses brushing.

"For the record," she murmurs, "I _did_ like you. Very much."

"Really? Back then?" he breathes out skeptically. "Why?"

"Why?" she echoes, pressing her lips softly against his flushed cheek. "Not very many cutes boys have ever made me laugh the way you did, or show me that there really is something more than just survival."

A light kiss, quick against his lips, there and back.

When his hand grasps the back of her head and pulls her back to him, their lips crushing together in a warm press that prompts a quiet moan in her throat, her own hands keep him close. They move together like they have many times before, sighing and clinging to each other.

And, like always, when they finally pull away, Louis can't repress the grin or the chuckle from escaping him.

"See, Marlon?" Louis grins. "She _does_ like me."

That forces a breathy laugh from her as she buries her face back into his shoulder.

"Oh, god," she laughs.

Soon, their laughter dies down, but the tingling warmth still lingers on her lips.

He pulls her back, smiling fondly down at her.

"Go ahead, I'll be there in a minute."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm just gonna say goodnight."

She gives him one more kiss before tightening the scarf around him again, her hand lingering on his chest before she walks away, glancing back to watch him get down on a knee in front of the grave.

"I'm sorry, Marlon. I should've come sooner," he starts. "I-...I do miss you. I should've tried harder, helped out more before. Maybe you wouldn't have felt so desperate if I did. I can't change that, but I'm gonna do better. I'm gonna step up and make sure we don't lose anyone else. I'm gonna do that for you, for Brody, for Minnie and Sophie, for everyone we've lost. Don't worry. I- ... I'll come talk to you more, too."

Louis smiles.

"I promise."


End file.
